Is it Better to Drink Carrot Juice or Eat Whole Carrots?

by Maia Appleby

Carrot juice is richer in vitamins and minerals than a raw carrot.

Carrots are nutritious and fiber-rich vegetables, whether you consume them whole or in juice. When comparing carrot juice to raw carrots, serving sizes are important to consider. A cup of carrot juice weighs 236 grams, more than the weight of three large carrots. Because you are unlikely to eat three carrots in a sitting, a serving of raw carrots, one large carrot, weighs significantly less than a serving of carrot juice and contains fewer nutrients.

Macronutrients

A cup of carrot juice has 94 calories, with 2.24 grams of protein and 1.9 grams of fiber. A raw carrot is much less energy-dense, with 30 calories and 0.67 gram of protein; however, it has 2 grams of fiber, making the two equals in fiber content. Carrot juice has 9.23 grams of natural sugar, while a carrot has 3.41 grams. If you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight, a raw carrot can give you appetite-satisfying bulk with fewer calories.

Antioxidants

Carrots are a valuable source of antioxidant vitamins, which benefit your immune system and help prevent premature aging. A cup of carrot juice gives you more than one-fourth of your daily requirement for vitamin C and half the vitamin E you need daily, while a raw carrot provides 5 percent of the vitamin C and 3 percent of the vitamin E you need each day. Carrot juice also gives you 2,256 micrograms of vitamin A, more than three times your recommended daily intake for that important antioxidant. A carrot, with 601 micrograms of vitamin A, provides 86 percent of your daily requirement.

B Vitamins and Vitamin K

Carrot juice is also richer in minerals than a raw carrot. A cup of carrot juice has 41 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin K, a nutrient that helps your blood clot properly, while a carrot gives you about one-tenth of the vitamin K you need daily. Carrot juice also provides 39 percent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin B-6, 20 percent for thiamine and 12 percent for riboflavin, while a carrot gives you less than one-fifth as much of each of those B-vitamins.

Minerals

Carrot juice provides more than twice the amount of minerals a raw carrot provides. Each cup of carrot juice contains about one-seventh of the potassium and phosphorus you should get daily, benefiting your nervous system and bone health. It also has one-tenth of your recommended daily intake for magnesium, a mineral that plays a role in muscle contraction, and 6 percent of the bone-strengthening calcium you need each day. A raw carrot has less than 5 percent of your daily requirement for each of those minerals.

What's your dietary preference?

Gluten Free

Omnivore

Paleo

Vegetarian

Vegan

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fruit

Legumes

Meat & Poultry

Fish

Nuts & Seeds

Vegetables

Healthy fats

What kinds of foods would you like to incorporate more in your diet?

Healthy fats

Vegetables

Meat, Poultry & Fish

Grains

Fruits

Which of these fats do you like?

Olive oil

Avocados

Salmon

Olives

Sesame oil

Almonds

Which of these vegetables do you like?

Broccoli

Kale

Carrots

Peppers

Sweet potatoes

Which of these proteins do you like?

Beef

Chicken

Tilapia

Turkey

Eggs

Pork

Which of these grains do you like?

Whole wheat

Brown rice

Oatmeal

Cous Cous

Bulgar

Which of these fruits do you like?

Apples

Bananas

Pears

Kiwis

Oranges

Peaches

Pomegranates

Berries

Which of these foods do you like to eat?

Fish

Nuts

Vegetables

Meat & Poultry

Fruits

These are kinds of fish you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Halibut

Red Snapper

Tilapia

Salmon

These are some nuts you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Almonds

Cashews

Pistacios

Walnuts

These are some vegetables you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Broccoli

Peppers

Kale

Carrots

Lettuce

Cabbage

These are some proteins you can eat on a Paleo diet. Which do you like?

Articles For Your Diet

About the Author

Maia Appleby is a NASM-certified personal trainer with more than 15 years of experience in the fitness industry. Her articles have been published in a wide variety of print magazines and online publications, including the Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, New Moon Network and Bodybuilding.com.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Healthy Eating editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.